Is Tupelo, MS tap water safe?

Data: U.S. EPA · How we read the data · How we check it

No federal limits exceeded in EPA data for City of Tupelo.

6 public water systems serve parts of Tupelo. The largest, City of Tupelo, serves 37,000 people. Your water bill names your system.

Largest system

City of Tupelo

37,000 people · Purchased surface water · EPA ID MS0410015

Buys treated water from N. E. MS. Regional Water & Sewer.

PFAS	Highest average	Limit	Status
PFOA Not detected	–	4 ppt	Not detected
PFOS Not detected	–	4 ppt	Not detected
PFHxS Not detected	–	10 ppt	Not detected
PFNA Not detected	–	10 ppt	Not detected
HFPO-DA (GenX) Not detected	–	10 ppt	Not detected

ppt = parts per trillion. "Highest average" is the highest average at any of the system's entry points, the way EPA compares results with the limits.

Lead: 0 ppb at the 90th percentile (Dec 2025, and 9 in 10 homes sampled were at or below it) Below action level
Health-based violations since 2016: 0

Across Mississippi, 5 of 235 water systems EPA tested had PFAS above a 2024 federal limit, and 10 systems were above the lead action level in results from the last five years. Mississippi results.

Tupelo homes and lead pipes

48%

of homes built before 1980 (Mississippi 42%, US 50%)

built before 1950 (Mississippi 7%)

37%

of households rent (Mississippi 30%)

Lead service lines and lead solder were allowed until 1986, so homes from before then are the ones to check. Renting? Ask your landlord what the service line is made of, because it's their pipe to replace. How to check your own line.

Housing: Census American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates for Tupelo city (tables B25034, B25003). Estimates for small places have a margin of error.

Which system serves your ZIP code

Based on the ZIP codes each system reported serving. Boundaries don't follow ZIP lines exactly, so your water bill is the final word.

System	ZIP codes in Tupelo
City of Tupelo 37,000 people	38801, 38804
East Pontotoc Water Association 5,170 people	38826

Other water systems serving Tupelo

East Pontotoc Water Association
5,170 people · Groundwater · Mississippi · reported ZIPs here
Lithium above screening levelAlso: 1 health-based violation since 2016
Oak Hill Water Association
4,739 people · Groundwater · Mississippi · reported ZIPs here
Lithium above screening level
Mooreville-Richmond Water Association #1
3,807 people · Groundwater · Mississippi · reported ZIPs here
Coliform bacteria violationAlso: Lithium above screening level
Old Union Water System
3,749 people · Groundwater · Mississippi · reported ZIPs here
Lithium above screening level
North Lee Water Association #4 – Macedonia
1,238 people · Groundwater · Mississippi · reported ZIPs here
Lithium above screening level

How nearby cities compare

City	Main water system	PFAS	Lead (90th pct.)
Oxford 46 mi City of Oxford	City of Oxford	Above limit	0 ppb
Starkville 56 mi City of Starkville	City of Starkville	None above limits	1.7 ppb
Olive Branch 79 mi City of Olive Branch	City of Olive Branch	None above limits	0.9 ppb
Southaven 85 mi City of Southaven	City of Southaven	None above limits	0 ppb
Horn Lake 89 mi City of Horn Lake	City of Horn Lake	None above limits	1.2 ppb
Meridian 130 mi City of Meridian	City of Meridian	None above limits	0 ppb

Questions

Is Tupelo tap water safe to drink?

City of Tupelo has had no health-based violations since 2016. Utility data can't show lead from your own pipes: if your home was built before 1986, test your tap. Your utility's annual Consumer Confidence Report is the official summary.

Who supplies water in Tupelo, MS?

6 public water systems serve parts of Tupelo. The largest is City of Tupelo (37,000 people). Your water bill names your system. The EPA ID is also on your utility's Consumer Confidence Report.

Does Tupelo tap water have PFAS?

None detected above EPA's reporting limits. City of Tupelo had no PFAS detected in EPA's 2023–2025 testing. "Not detected" means below the reporting limit (about 2 to 20 ppt), not proven zero.

Do Tupelo homes have lead pipes?

Census estimates put 48% of Tupelo homes as built before 1980 (Mississippi: 42%). Lead service lines and lead solder were allowed until 1986, so older homes are more likely to have them. City of Tupelo's service line inventory says what your line is made of. The only way to know for your home is to check the line where it enters the house and test your tap.

Source: U.S. EPA drinking water records and PFAS testing (UCMR 5). How we read the data.